Surveillance in the North and its applicability to the Southern Ocean

Abstract

The northern hemisphere has been heavily populated for centuries, and so the waterways have undergone? laws long before the current ones were in place. The European Seas presently have an extensive maritime Surveillance System in place to monitor the activities of vessels in the Surrounding Waters, as well as facilitate the movements of ships within ports'. It is a current requirement by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for all international Voyage ships greater than 300 tonnes, national waters Voyage ships greater than 500 tonnes, and all passenger ships to carry a transponder device and send updates to coastal authorities and neighbouring vessels with regards to their location and speed. Whilst the Surveillance is primarily used for pollution control and maritime safety, there is recognition for the information to be extended into control over the fisheries industry". The northern hemisphere has a combination of both satellite usage and patrol vessels being used for surveillance, whereas the Southern Ocean is largely unsupervised due to its high seas status". This review surveys the literature available on the European Seas and Arctic maritime Surveillance systems, and the applicability of such a system in the Southern Ocean.